Italian Meatball Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed peppers loaded with meats, cheeses, rice, and herbs while topped with homemade tomato sauce and more cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 28 oz can of San Marzano whole tomatoes
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 8 peppers variety, cut in half and cleaned
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 egg
- 1 small onion chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 1 tablespoon basil
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese grated fine
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded OR slices of provolone
Instructions
- In a large skillet combine whole tomatoes with juice, paste, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a low simmer.
- With a wooden spoon, break up tomatoes and simmer for 10-15 minutes while you make the meatball mixture.
- Combine beef, pork, onion, garlic, seasonings, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and rice.
- Mix with hands until well combined. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut peppers in half. Clean out seeds and stems.
- Grease a 9x13 oven safe dish.
- Add 1/2 cup of sauce to the bottom of the pan.
- Fill each pepper with meatball mixture. Stuff well to fill in all the cracks.
- If there is filling leftover, I make some meatballs for the kids. Add to the dish wherever it fits.
- Top each pepper with 1/4 cup sauce.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Top with mozzarella cheese or slices of provolone.
- Bake until cheese is browned and internal temperature is 165 degrees, about 10 more minutes. (Use broiler if needed)
- Let sit for at least 15 minutes before enjoying.